Effective communication and collaboration in the healthcare industry is vital since it plays a role in ensuring that patients receive high-quality healthcare services. A study conducted by Training (2012) indicated that communication and collaborative strategies help in fostering respective interaction, thus, creating a work-friendly environment for the healthcare profession to deliver services perfectly. Healthcare settings are complex environments requiring interprofessional teams to work together, which often causes tension due to conflicting goals, opinions, or values. This paper will explore the surgical department health care setting, issues that may arise, qualities of effective communication, boundary-spanning activities to support a collaborative environment, how employee satisfaction impacts patient care and strategies for managing professional communication within an interprofessional team.
Health Care Setting and Team Dynamics
The surgical department is a vital part of any healthcare organization. It consists of a complex interprofessional team that includes physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, social workers, and health care administrators. Every individual performs different tasks, which must be coordinated to ensure successful surgical outcomes. For instance, Surgeons possess the ability to guide the surgical team, execute various procedures, and exercise crucial judgment throughout surgeries. Nurses help in providing direct patient care by assisting surgeons during the procedure. A physical therapist provides post-operative care, which ensures patient safety and regain mobility (Leach et al., 2011). The operation room assistant ensures that the surgical team has the necessary resources and equipment within the operating room. Lastly, social workers provide psychosocial support to patients and their families, making it easy to address emotional concerns. These teams must work together to provide the best possible patient care by coordinating interventions and sharing resources in order to meet the needs of their patients. Generally, it is important for each member of the team to understand their individual roles and responsibilities while also recognizing the importance of collaboration among team members.
Potential Concerns
Despite the collaborative nature of the health care setting, the surgical department setting is always complex, increasing the chances of several potential issues related to poor communication or misunderstanding. For instance, a lack of communication from healthcare professionals could result in conflicting values or opinions, leading to delays in care or errors in diagnosis or treatment (Bramhall, 2014). Additionally, due to the complex nature of the surgical unity, hierarchy and power dynamics could be a threat to open communication and collaboration of the team members. For instance, Healthcare professionals in subordinate positions may experience hesitancy when it comes to expressing their concerns or sharing ideas, which can have a detrimental effect on patient safety and overall outcomes (Riley, 2015). Other issues could be a result of interdisciplinary conflict. The surgical unit is characterized by different professionals with different professional perspectives and priorities. The surgical unit consists of individuals with diverse professional views and priorities. Given the fast-paced nature of surgical operations, the team faces time constraints and heavy workloads that demand quick thinking. Conflicts may arise due to discrepancies in perspectives, priorities, stress levels, and burnout among professionals, ultimately harming cohesive teamwork.
Attributes of a Healthy Culture
For an interprofessional team to operate effectively in a surgical department setting, it is vital for them to nurture a culture that values respect and collaboration. This entails establishing a conducive atmosphere where team members are encouraged to communicate openly with one another and provide feedback. Additionally, utilizing shared decision-making processes also plays a crucial role in team building. As indicated by Riley (2015), fostering open and transparent communication facilitates information sharing, cultivates solidarity among the team, allows for the exchange of feedback, and ensures timely resolution of conflicts or concerns. Additionally, it is important to create a workplace where team members feel valued and respected for their individual contributions to patient care. This helps to ensure that everyone feels comfortable speaking up and expressing their opinions without fear of criticism. By fostering a healthy culture, teams can work together more effectively to provide the highest quality of care.
Qualities of Effective Communication
Effective communication is essential to a successful interprofessional team. Qualities of effective communication include active listening, clarity and accuracy, and respectively and constructive tone. According to Guraya, and Barr (2018), active listening encompasses the act of attentively observing both verbal and non-verbal cues, actively seeking clarification, and displaying a genuine sense of empathy towards both colleagues and patients. Again, clear and accurate communication calls for messages to be clear, accurate, brief, and precise to prevent possible errors and misunderstandings.
Communication Styles
In ensuring productive communication within the surgical department, it is crucial to adopt communication styles such as assertive communication and active dialogue. Utilizing an assertive communication style empowers individuals to confidently articulate their thoughts, ideas, and concerns while duly valuing the viewpoints of others (Sibiya, 2018). Such an approach fosters productive collaboration and enhances aptitude for resolving problems effectively. Again, promoting active dialogue entails facilitating inclusive debates, exploring contrasting viewpoints, and cultivating an atmosphere that promotes everyone’s confidence in voicing their own ideas. Finally, constructive feedback can be used to provide guidance and support while also encouraging team members to address any issues or concerns they may have.
Boundary-Spanning Activity
In a surgical department setting, one effective way for healthcare leaders to bridge boundaries is by implementing case conferences. These conferences involve gathering the interprofessional team regularly to discuss patient cases and work together to determine the most suitable approach. This activity promotes transparent communication and collaborative decision-making among team members while also giving them an opportunity to express their perspectives and gain valuable insights from others. Furthermore, it cultivates an environment of mutual respect within the team, ultimately enhancing the efficiency of care delivery.
Employee Satisfaction
Employee satisfaction is a crucial factor in providing quality patient care. If employees are not satisfied with their work, they may become disengaged and be less likely to provide the best possible care for patients. To ensure employee satisfaction, it is important to create a culture where everyone feels respected and valued (Training, 2012). Additionally, providing adequate resources and support can help employees feel supported and increase their motivation to do their best work. Generally, satisfied healthcare professionals are more inclined to engage in effective teamwork, deliver patient-centered care, and engage in respective interactions.
Qualities of Professional Communication
Interacting with patients, their families, and other healthcare professionals is a crucial aspect of professional communication in the surgical department. Qualities of professional communication include; empathy and compassion, Collaborative Interactions, Clarity, and Patient-Centeredness. Showing empathy and compassion toward patients and their families establishes trust, enhances patient satisfaction, and strengthens the therapeutic bond (Arnold & Boggs, 2019). Again, being clear and patient-centered entails using language that is free from unnecessary medical jargon, actively engaging them in decision-making, as well as addressing their concerns and preferences. Lastly, collaborative interaction requires actively listening to others’ viewpoints, respecting diverse perspectives, and being open to working together toward common goals.
Roles of Health Care Leaders
Healthcare leaders play an important role in facilitating communication and collaboration among the interprofessional team. They can help create a positive culture by establishing collaborative culture. Leaders should foster an environment that promotes collective effort, honesty, and effective interaction among team members. This can be achieved by establishing explicit standards, motivating collaboration, and appreciating the valuable input from each individual in the team (Morley & Cashell, 2017). Again, leaders have the ability to offer communication training and workshops as a means of improving the communication abilities of healthcare professionals. This will empower them with the essential skills required for successful interactions with both patients and colleagues.
Conclusion
Effective communication is essential in providing quality patient care within a surgical department setting. Qualities of effective communication include active listening, clarity and accuracy, assertive communication, and respectful tone. Furthermore, employing boundary-spanning activities such as case conferences can help to foster collaboration among team members. Finally, healthcare leaders have the ability to create a positive culture by establishing explicit standards, offering communication training, and motivating collaboration. These qualities of professional communication are essential to ensure that patients receive the best possible care. Ultimately, effective communication within a surgical department setting will help improve patient outcomes and satisfaction with the quality of care provided.
References
Arnold, E. C., & Boggs, K. U. (2019). Interpersonal relationships e-book: professional communication skills for nurses. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Bramhall, E. (2014). Effective communication skills in nursing practice. Nursing Standard (2014+), 29(14), 53.
Guraya, S. Y., & Barr, H. (2018). The effectiveness of interprofessional education in healthcare: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Kaohsiung Journal of medical sciences, 34(3), 160-165.
Leach, L. S., Myrtle, R. C., & Weaver, F. A. (2011). Surgical teams: role perspectives and role dynamics in the operating room. Health Services Management Research, 24(2), 81–90.
Morley, L., & Cashell, A. (2017). Collaboration in health care. Journal of medical imaging and radiation sciences, 48(2), 207–216.
Riley, J. B. (2015). Communication in nursing. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Sibiya, M. N. (2018). Effective communication in nursing. Nursing, 19, 20-34.
Training, M. T. D. (2012). Effective communication skills. Bookboon.
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